BUSINESS
Coming soon, a National Educational Technology Forum to boost digital education
The NETF will provide independent evidence-based advice to central and state government agencies on technology-based interventions. The education ministry has already held a series of meetings with state education boards between October 2020 and April 2021.
BUSINESS
IDBI Bank divestment: LIC may sell stake in multiple tranches, up to 5% in FY22
LIC which is the promoter of IDBI Bank is likely to sell stake and unlock value ahead of its initial public offering in Q3FY22.
BUSINESS
Companies are hiring, even amidst COVID-19 second wave: Randstad India executives
Paul Dupuis, MD and CEO, Randstad India and Viswanath PS, CFO, Randstad India are seeing no major impact on an immediate basis in India's hiring market despite COVID-19 situation getting worse.
BUSINESS
Supreme Court strikes down Maratha reservation in jobs and education, saying it violates right to equality
The apex court held that the 50 percent ceiling for reservations cannot be exceeded in any state. It was responding to a Devendra Fadnavis-led state government legislation, which offered 16 percent reservation for the Maratha community in 2018; students relieved, but hope for some reprieve from authorities
BUSINESS
IPL 2021 suspended: Here's why the game isn't insured against COVID-19
Since the IPL insurance taken by the organisers has excluded COVID-19, no delays or cancellations in the 2021 matches will be eligible for claims; Rs 3,500 crore tournament cover related to weather-related or manmade disasters
BUSINESS
VK Bansal: The man who pinned Kota as the coaching capital of India
Bansal Classes founder VK Bansal, who passed away after a prolonged illness on May 3, was behind Rajasthan's Kota becoming a Mecca for engineering aspirants.
BUSINESS
TV prices set to rise again as govt considering customs duty hike on open-cell panels
The government wants to incentivise local manufacturing by increasing customs duty. The plan is to increase the duty by up to 12 percent in three years from the current 5 percent. In Sept 2019, the CBIC had said there will be no hike in cutoms duty if manufacturers develop domestic capacity
BUSINESS
LIC sees Rs 3.76 lakh crore additions in equity holding value in FY21
The country’s largest insurer saw its equity holding value rise to Rs 7.69 lakh crore in FY21 as against Rs 3.93 lakh crore a year ago, representing a whopping 96 percent year-on-year growth
BUSINESS
COVID-19: Here’s a primer on getting insurance claims settled on time
Keep a list of documents and medical bills ready for quick claims settlement. If your insurer has a tie-up with a local hospital, opt for it.
TRENDS
Up to Rs 1 crore a month — this is how much insurers could save by hot desking, hybrid offices
Giving up office space by sending some teams to work-from-home settings while retaining others through hot desking options is being explored to cut costs.
BUSINESS
Exclusive | COVID-19 second wave: Amid tussle between hospitals and insurers, 171,000 claims await settlement
The delays in clearing claims are primarily because of disagreements between hospitals and insurance companies over the claim amount and charges imposed. As of April 28, there were 1.1 million Covid-19 health claims worth Rs 15,568 crore filed with insurers. Of these, 930,729 claims worth Rs 8,918.57 crore have been settled.
BUSINESS
No child left behind: Come 2023, schools will no longer rank students merely on marks scored in exams
The Education Ministry wants schools to promote multi-disciplinary education by having a 50-50 balance of academics with other activities such as sports, literature, martial arts, music and dance. Students will be assessed on aspects such as their participation in extra-curricular activities, inter-school competitions, sporting prowess and basic etiquette. Classroom interactions will also be closely monitored.
BUSINESS
General insurers seek higher rate for third-party motor insurance as losses mount
Insurers say their viability is at stake as losses are mounting, and the regulator did not increase third-party insurance rates in FY21, but transporters are opposing the move saying higher premium will amplify their stress
BUSINESS
COVID-19 claims: Insurers look to redraft service-level agreements with hospitals
Many hospitals are not ready to settle cashless claims despite agreements with insurers. Facing the heat from the finance ministry and the regulator, insurers are looking to tweak these agreements and remove errant hospitals from the network.
BUSINESS
Semiconductor shortage may choke laptop supply ahead of new academic session
Laptops could be in short supply in India because of the scarcity of semiconductor chips made in China. The shortage comes during the peak-demand period of March-June, which accounts for 40 percent of sales in India
BUSINESS
How to not be a 'Covidiot' employer during a raging pandemic
Employees are engaging in extremely callous behaviour, ranging from hiding COVID-19 positive data of colleagues from close contacts in the office to forcing staff to work despite being infected.
BUSINESS
Covid-19 second wave: Job losses, pay cuts back to haunt restaurants
The second wave of Covid-19 has hit the restaurant industry hard since lockdown-like restrictions have led to eateries only being allowed to offer home-delivery and takeout services.
BUSINESS
Board exam cancelled for Class X: Tougher entry conditions likely for Class XI admission
Students are worried that in the absence of board exam scores, there would be no objective criterion to evaluate them, which creates a lot of uncertainty about their future.
BUSINESS
Post COVID-19 troubles: Recovered people find higher exclusions, rise in insurance denials
Insurance companies, facing almost 10 lakh COVID-19 claims worth Rs 14,000 crore, are either denying new policies to people who recover from the disease, or inserting harsh clauses, fearing big claims in the future, but vaccination is likely to restore normalcy even though the premium may be high.
BUSINESS
Jabs for all: Students planning to go abroad for education feel left out
Many universities in the US are planning to make vaccination compulsory to be able to attend physical classes in 2021. For Indian students, this is an added concern.
BUSINESS
Covid-19 second wave: Offline coaching classes feel the heat
Several coaching classes offering tutoring for board exams and competitive tests have not been able to pivot to online modules. With fresh curbs restricting movement across India due to Covid-19, these coaching-centre owners are a worried lot
INDIA
COVID-19 second wave: Students giving board exams face their worst ordeal in 2021
For Indian students giving their Class X and Class XII board examinations in 2021, there is a constant fear of exams being postponed and results being delayed due to the second wave of COVID-19.
BUSINESS
Explained: What the PFRDA Amendment Bill means for pension subscribers
The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) Amendment Bill looks to separate the NPS Trust from PFRDA. This is to ensure that there is no conflict of interest. It also seeks to establish a Pension Trust for employees of private sector companies.
BUSINESS
Restrictions may impact sales in short-term, pent-up demand will release soon after: Godrej's Kamal Nandi
Godrej Appliances is manufacturing medical refrigerators at its Shirwal facility in Satara, Maharashtra. However, other appliance production in the state is now temporarily suspended till April 30 due to state government restrictions.
